


The Shadows We Keep

by iamdemosthenes



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon Compliant, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gen, Light Angst, Post-Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-12-05 11:23:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11577084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iamdemosthenes/pseuds/iamdemosthenes
Summary: All the paladins need is the Qanil flower. Located on a planet supposed to be friendly towards Altea, their mission should be a piece of cake.orIn which things go wrong and Keith gets the short end of the stick.





	The Shadows We Keep

**Author's Note:**

> Just like Paint the Town Green, this is the work of my friend November, beta'd by me.

“Alright everyone, planet Falura is a historically Altea-friendly planet, though the presence of Galra ships in the system may mean it’s occupied. Best of luck!” Coran chirped through the Lion’s comms as team Voltron descended from the castleship.

Planet Falura’s green surface grew larger in view until the lush foliage could be seen rushing past below each Lion. Allura and the paladins drew closer to a group of large floating structures to land.

“What… what are those?” Pidge asked.

“Giant mushrooms!” Lance exclaimed.

“What?”

“They’re like giant mushrooms, but also mirrored upside down and then stuck together.”

“So like… an apple core?” Hunk added.

“Yes! But made from giant mushrooms!”

“Alright then. Allura, what are those, actually?” Keith interjected.

“They’re cities! The Falurians build massive floating cities, and then introduce plants to the structures. It gives them a signature feel.”

“That sounds pretty. Wonder what kind of tech they use to make it float.” Pidge hummed.

“Here’s where we need to land.” Allura guided the Lions to a ringlike platform where the paladins could disembark. It appeared to be a docking bay of some sort, but the Lions were the only spacecraft there.

“Where is everyone?” Lance wondered.

“Maybe they went inside?” Hunk suggested, walking over to the stone arches that lead into the structure.

Allura frowned. “No, as I recall, the Falurians are lively, sun-loving folk. It shouldn’t be deserted like this.”

Pidge pulled up a flower-shaped hologram from her suit’s projector. “How will we find the Qanil flower, then?”

Allura put a hand to her chin in thought. “I’m not sure.” she looked upward toward the verdant upper levels of the structure. “The Falurians usually keep their gardens at the top of their cities. We might look there.”

Keith frowned. “What if the Falurians aren’t all on holiday? Could the Galra have imprisoned them? If they’re so involved with plants, might the Galra be using them for something?”

“Yeah, they might have them making plant weapons or potions or something.” Hunk added.

“It’s possible but… we have no way to know if the Galra have a presence here or not unless we go in.” Allura discerned.

“Right.” Keith nodded. “We’ll split up. Allura, Lance, you two head up to the gardens and see if you can find the plant, or any Falurians along the way. Pidge, I want you to find a security room or something you can monitor the structure from, maybe get into the locks if we need it. Keep us posted. Hunk, you come with me and we’ll head to the lower levels to see what we can find. Any questions?” he paused. “No? Great. Good luck, don’t get killed.”

“Very inspiring.” Pidge teased.

“Thanks. Send us a map if you find one.”

“Will do.” Pidge gave a mock salute and ran off in search of the structure’s security systems.

Allura left with Lance, navigating mostly by memory and upwards movement, leaving Keith and Hunk to find a way to the lower levels.

“Hunk, any ideas?”

“On what?”

“Getting to the lower levels.”

“Oh. Uh, maybe there’s an elevator? Or stairs? Didn’t Allura take Lance to those waterfall tubes?” Hunk suggested, pointing toward a cluster of glass cylinders in the center of the structure. A number of leafy ferns grew from a flowerbed by the tubes.

Keith shrugged. “Let’s find out.” he said, then he and Hunk jogged over to the glassy tubes.

Sure enough, some vaguely arrow-shaped etchings laced the outside of the tubes, and a hovering, grassy disc sat at ‘ground’ level for passengers. Keith took a step forward, only to be pulled back by a firm hand on his shoulder. He threw Hunk a quizzical look and gently removed Hunk’s hand from his shoulder.

“What?”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Do you see any other way down?” Keith asked, gesturing with his arms to the whole of the space around them.

“No but… that just looks… unstable.”

“This entire structure is unstable.”

“Good point.”

“Let’s go.” Keith said, and stepped inside the ‘elevator.’ Hunk followed suit and a panel of lights appeared inside the glass tube. Each sported numerous alien characters, though one seemed to have the arrow that was on the outside of the tube.

“Uh, which do we press?” Hunk worried.

Keith scrutinized the panel briefly, shrugged, then tapped the button with the arrow-like symbol. Almost immediately the opening in the glass shut and the two paladins felt their stomachs flip as the platform they stood on lurched underfoot, throwing off their balance. It stabilized quickly, smoothly gliding downwards through the glass tube. Each level they passed was as eerily empty as the first. 

At some point during the descent, Keith received a message from Pidge with a hologram file, which he ported to his armor. He opened it with a passing hand, revealing a detailed 3D layout of the floating structure. He and Hunk studied it for a few floors before growing bored, at which point the paladins began to pay more attention to the levels as they passed by. They continued like this for several floors until what may have been the twentieth floor.

As they passed through the floor and the next level down became visible through the tube, Keith knew his initial suspicions had been accurate. Numerous Galran guards stood posted around the room as it opened up before them. Some of the Galrans were walking back and forth between rows of tables full of downtrodden-looking plant-colored aliens.

“It’s like a factory.” Hunk whispered.

“Yeah.” Keith drew his bayard as the elevator slowed to a halt. In the brief moment before the glass door opened the paladins shared a glance of unease, readying their bayards for a fight.

Keith and Hunk stepped into the room with purpose, a stern sense of determination evident in their faces.

“Falurians!” Keith shouted. “We are Paladins of Voltron! Throw off your chains and fight your Galra captors! Free yourselves, free your city, free your people!” His words, translated by his helmet, elicited a fearful, yet wholehearted cheer from the captive Falurians as he leaped into battle. 

At this, Hunk let loose with his bayard blaster, rushing into the frantic Galran soldiers while Keith plunged his own bayard into the nearest soldier.

***

Keith stalked around the porous stone wall carefully, measuring his breathing while listening for Galra activity. Purple blood still stained his bayard from the firefight, and now, as it dripped off the tip of the blade, each drop seemed like a countdown to something deadly. He glanced to Hunk, stationed across the room, who nodded, shifting his bayard and roaring as he let into an unseen Galra in the hallway. Keith simultaneously dashed around the corner and did the same, his weapon whistling through the air before biting into flesh. The patrol down, Hunk jogged to regroup with Keith, who stood panting as the adrenaline pounded through his system. He gave a firm flick of his bayard, shaking off the added purple fluids.

In the silence that followed, Keith began to walk toward the other end of the sand-colored corridor, motioning for Hunk to follow. Overhead, light filtered through small glass panes crisscrossed with vines.

“I think that was the last of the patrols. Have you gotten anything from the others?” Keith asked, voice low.

Hunk frowned. “The last thing Allura said was ‘Hang on, we’re coming.’"

Keith consulted the holographic dashboard in his helmet. “That was twenty minutes ago.”

“It’s only been twenty minutes?”

Keith laughed drily. “Time flies when you’re having fun.” He paused. “Hold. I’ve got a message from Pidge.” He stopped and stepped to the side of the corridor.

Hunk could see Keith’s eyes scanning the message, though the text wasn’t visible from the outside. “What’d she say?”

“She’s hacked the lock system for us… and there are a few hidden chambers that she’s marked on the map.” He orated, skimming the text briefly as he activated the holographic map on his wrist with a passing hand. A blue miniature of the city structure sprang up from the tiny projector, with a trio of pulsing green pins marking the hidden locations. A small red arrow signified Keith’s position.

“Hey, one of those is pretty close.” Hunk noted, pointing to the map.

Keith nodded, transferring the route to his helmet before closing the hologram. He resumed his walk down the corridor quietly, mimicked by Hunk on the other wall. The opening to the next room yawned ahead of them and the two made their approach carefully. At the entrance, Keith poked his head out briefly to check the area for soldiers, and, seeing none, slipped around the corner and moved toward the location Pidge had marked.

It was a wall, made from the same porous stone as the rest of the structure, with moss and ivy covering most of the surface from ground to ceiling. A quick slice of his bayard felled the green mass, revealing a small panel. Keith tapped his helmet to pull up Pidge’s message briefly, then keyed in the passcode for entrance. The wall grumbled aside slowly and Keith turned to Hunk with a nonchalant shrug, though Hunk’s own expression was much less so. The door’s rumbling stopped and the entrance stood wide open before them. Inside stood a single Galra soldier, who Keith dispatched almost immediately. The body fell to the floor and he stepped over it to the wall of Galran computer screens displaying numerous rooms full of the Falurians. Each one, he noticed, they had been through, and each one, they had cleared of Galra.

“I call that a success.” Keith said, landing a good-natured punch to Hunk’s shoulder.

“That means we just need to clear out this floor and then we can regroup with the others.” Hunk grinned.

“Yeah, and now I know we got them all. Remind me to thank Pidge more often.” Keith said, with a momentary smile before turning to leave. Consulting the map once more, he set their course for the next room and ushered Hunk to follow.

The next room was larger and lacked guards. Its stone door rumbled open to reveal numerous small Falurians.

“They’re… they’re children.” Hunk whispered.

Keith, however, stood wide eyed and immediately turned around to consult the map. He placed a big red exclamation point at their location and sent a memo to the rest of the team.

By the door, Hunk had knelt down and in hushed tones was describing the situation to the nearest alien child, who would then hopefully pass the message on to the others. Keith silently thanked Coran for the translators he’d given them for the second time that day. He waited for Hunk to stand, then gave an awkward attempt at a reassuring smile and a wave to the kids before closing the door.

“Quick work in there, good job.” Keith said, now rerouting his map to the next pin.

“Oh, thanks. Lance might’ve done better, though.”

“Lance isn’t here. You are, and you did it. We’re team Voltron, don’t doubt yourself. Now come on, I’ve got the new path.” Keith affirmed, setting off toward their next destination.

Hunk thought for a bit as they walked. “You know, you should tell that to Lance.”

“What?”

“The ‘we’re team Voltron, don’t doubt yourself’ part.”

Keith scoffed. “He wouldn’t listen to me if I tried.” Keith froze then, and sidled against the wall. “Listen.” he hissed quietly. The pair stood against the wall with bated breath, listening to the sound of armored footsteps as they echoed down the hallway. Keith drew his bayard and began inching towards the sound, slowly making his way toward the end of the hall. It ended in a small balcony, though it was more of an outcropping filled with plants. At the very least, it gave them good cover. They ducked behind the mass of foliage and watched the goings-on of the room down below.

The room was crawling with Galra soldiers, with many stationed as guards around various points in the room, but the biggest congregation was around a leafy archway. The greenery on the wall had been torn back in one spot to reveal a panel not unlike those from the previous hidden rooms.

“That must be the last pin.” Hunk whispered.

“Yeah, and probably the Galran General.” Keith guessed, taking a photo with his helmet and sending it to the team. To his surprise, a response from Allura popped up.

“Oh.”

“Oh, what?” Hunk asked.

“Allura and Lance made it to the lower floors, they’re freeing the Falurians.”

“Oh. That’s good.”

“Yeah, but it also means we’re alone for this.” Keith grimaced, gesturing to the Galrans below them.

“Well, we did clear those other floors.”

“But the soldiers were more spread out. Do you remember that shield training exercise Allura had us do when we first had all the Lions?”

Hunk replied slowly. “Yeah, why?”

“Let’s not get shot.” Keith grinned and fired up his armor’s shield, then jumped into the room below with a fierce yell.

Hunk’s face fell as he lit his own shield and jumped in to follow his friend.

***

As the Galran forces thinned out, Hunk and Keith found themselves back to back and heaving for air. The last group of soldiers had them surrounded, and they only had enough energy left in their shields to block so many blows before they would have to take a hit.

“Hey Keith?” Hunk huffed, blasting a hole through a Galra soldier when he got too close.

“Yeah?” Keith asked, his voice strained as he fought to fend off another Galra with his bayard.

A tap to his helmet shut off the translator and Hunk shifted the weight of his bayard. “I have an idea.”

“Alright, shoot.”

“I’m going to turn in a circle—” he huffed, “and shoot, but I need you to keep moving.”

“Sounds good, ready when you are.” Keith breathed, adjusting his footing as he slid his bayard out of a newly-impaled Galra.

“One…” Hunk’s gaze was set with determination.

“Two…” Keith readied his shield with a shaky breath.

“Three!” They shouted in unison, Hunk’s bayard pumping out a torrent of laser bullets as they shifted around. Behind him, Keith kept his shield up, striking out like a venomous snake at any soldier who failed to fall by Hunk’s onslaught.

A silence descended on the room when the last soldier fell, allowing the Paladins some much needed time to breathe. Hunk tapped his helmet translator back on and closed his eyes with a sigh.

“Glad that’s over.” he turned off his bayard and returned it to his hip.

Keith said nothing, instead flicking the purple blood from his own bayard as he prodded one of the fallen soldiers with his foot. He stepped over the body and walked to the panel on the wall, each step squelching underfoot. He turned his back to the wall and considered the state of the room. The stench of burned flesh and blood was beginning to fill the air.

“What a mess.” Keith laughed, no humor in his voice.

“I feel bad for whoever ends up cleaning it.” Hunk said, his tone despondent.

A beep in his helmet gave Keith a start. Realizing it was an incoming call, he tapped his helmet and Pidge’s voice came through.

“Keith!”

“Hey Pidge.” He replied with a tired smile.

“I finally got through to you. The signal to the lower levels is terrible.”

Keith gave a dry laugh. “Well you’ll be glad to know we’ve checked out all the pins you gave us. One of ‘em's a room full of kids.”

“I saw the memo, that’s so sad.”

“Hunk talked to them though, so they know what we’re doing.”

“Well that’s good. Where are you?”

“Whichever green pin is up the highest. We just cleared another room full of Galra. I hope the rest of you are pulling your weight.” he teased.

Pidge was silent for a moment. “Alright, I can see you— Oh. Wow.”

Keith slid partially down the wall behind him for support. “Yeah.”

“Hey, are you two okay?”

Keith glanced over to Hunk, who’d sat down where to two had been not long ago. “I think so.” He pushed off from the wall with a grunt to check on Hunk, and noticed the paladin’s eyes go wide in alarm.

Hunk scrambled to his feet and shouted. “Keith, behind—”

Suddenly the world went dark.

***

“Hey, are you two okay?” Pidge asked, noticing on the video feed that Keith and Hunk seemed to have sat down.

“I think so” Keith sounded drained.

Pidge smiled, about to tell him that he and Hunk did a good job when Hunk’s voice broke through the comm.

“Keith, behind you!” Hunk shouted, his voice distant before the call buzzed to static.

“Keith? Keith!” Pidge shouted, donning her helmet to access the comm controls. A glance to the security screens revealed a large Galra standing in the doorway and suspending Keith’s limp form by his arms. Across the room, Hunk was struggling against two Galrans behind him who had his wrists cuffed behind his back and were prodding him forward with a blaster.

Pidge’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh no…”

***

Lance pumped a fist in the air with a jovial shout. “One down, three to go!”

Allura smiled at the Falurian she had just unchained. “Can you show us to the next room? Where the others are being held?”

The sage green Falurian grinned and nodded. “Of course! And once we find the children and Queen Thanali we can properly thank thou and thine team!”

Allura turned to Lance. “Lance, this Falurian…” She turned to the alien, “What may I call you?”

The Falurian’s fuchsia eyes blinked once. “Oh, thou ask of my name? I am called Invici.”

“Thank you, Invici.” Allura smiled. “Lance, Invici is going to lead us to the next room, are you ready?”

“Yes! These Falurians are so cool! Check this out, their eyes change color according to different flowers!” Lance cheered, hands laden with blooms of all colors. He bent down to the Falurian nearest him, whose large eyes were an indigo hue, and when he presented it with a marigold-like flower it’s eyes flushed a golden orange color.

“Isn’t that cool!?” he says excitedly.

“The Falurians are well known for their extraordinary color changing abilities. I haven’t seen them in a long time though. Nevertheless, we should hurry. Invici, if you would?” Allura gestured with a sweeping motion toward the leaf-covered archway that lead to the hall.

Invici nodded and trotted off, beckoning Allura and the blue paladin to follow. A number of curious Falurians trailed after them, murmuring excitedly among themselves.

“I hope you weren’t treated too terribly by the Galra.” Allura commented as Invici lead their posse through the corridors.

Invici’s face fell. “We were worked harshly, and our children were taken from us.” Invici’s expression perked up again, “But thine paladins arrived and fought most valiantly!”

“Ah, but it is rather a mess now.” called a Falurian from behind.

Invici gave a small smile. “This is true. As thou came to our chamber first, so did thine paladins. They called to us to fight and be free with much valor. There are, however, many more of the Galra in the other chambers. It is likely to be much less pleasant.”

Allura nodded and touched a hand to the panel by the doorway they had come to. The door rumbled open and the party stepped inside, met by a murmur of surprise from the room of imprisoned Falurians.

There were more Falurians in this room, in addition to more slain Galra soldiers. The bodies lay strewn about, and Allura and Lance picked their way across the room as they set to work releasing the Falurians. Those who had followed them from the previous room assisted or rushed to reunite with friends and family.

Allura smiled when a small Falurian rushed into the arms of one she had just unchained. She stood and scanned the room for Lance to see how he was progressing. Her smile widened when she found him with multiple Falurians attached to him or following him as he chatted with each Falurian he released.

Allura stepped around the reunited Falurians near her and moved to the next, but as she bent to undo the chains her earrings buzzed. She slid a hand up to one and pressed it as she knelt to release the Falurian.

“Hello?”

“Allura! Thank goodness. We’ve got a problem.” Pidge’s voice sounded worried.

Allura’s brow knitted and she stood up. “What’s wrong, Pidge?” She asked, sending a stern look towards Lance to get his attention.

“It’s Keith. I was just talking to him, he and Hunk had cleared out a room farther up. Something’s happened, I heard Hunk shout to warn Keith and then the comm signal died. Keith’s line has gone to static and Hunk is unresponsive. I checked the video feed of the room they were in and saw some Galrans taking them into a hidden room.” Pidge paused for breath. “I can’t find anything, Allura. I think they need help.”

***

Keith felt like his head had been stuffed with cotton as he begrudgingly opened his eyes. Pain pounded against the back of his skull and he was vaguely aware that he was moving. The ceiling was sliding past and he could feel a chill in the air as his heels caught on something every so often along the ground. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light he began to look around, searching for something he could recognize. Keith twisted his neck around hoping to see over his shoulder somewhat, but was disappointed to be met with the dark armor of a Galran guard. Frowning, he leaned his head back and waited for a frustratingly long minute as the guard dragged him further into the labyrinthine hallway, and then finally to a door that hissed open. 

The lights inside were a soft, yet bright white, and another Galran guard stood in the corner. The guard Keith could see only just, his peripheral vision allowing him to track the guard’s movement to his feet. Keith then grimaced as he felt himself hoisted into the air and slid onto a surface. He watched the guards place cuffs around his ankles and leave, the door sliding shut behind them. Keith sat up angrily, but the pain in his head protested, forcing him back down with a grunt. As he leaned back he caught a glimpse of yellow in the corner of his eye.

“Hunk! Hunk, is that you?” 

“Keith? Oh good, you’re alive. They hit you pretty hard back there.”

Keith smiled to himself. “I should like to think it takes more than that to kill me.” He paused. “Do you still have your helmet on? Pretty sure mine’s busted.”

“Yeah, but my hands are tied down. It’ll be hard to do anything.”

Keith started when a light blinked on above the door and it began to hiss open. “Hunk, listen—”

A Galra stepped in the doorway. “Silence, paladin!” He barked, and moved to Keith to cuff his wrists to the surface he was on.

In that moment Keith was glad his helmet was broken. “—if you can get a message through—”

The Galra sneered at Keith and waved a sick-looking syringe in front of his face, “Silence!” the Galra barked again, slipping off Keith’s helmet, leaving his neck unprotected.  
Keith smirked and shot the Galra a look that said ‘I dare you’. “What’re you gonna do, stab me? Your friends have done that enough today.”

The Galra appeared incensed at this, if not by Keith’s words but by his expression, and moved the syringe closer to Keith’s neck.

“—Recovery Blue!” Keith shouted to Hunk just before the syringe hit home and his vision went black.

***

Hunk sighed. Sometimes it payed off to be the easy going member of your team. When Keith had been bashed upside the head and Hunk blindfolded and prodded along by some gruff looking Galrans, Hunk had figured it best not to struggle. If at least one of them was conscious, they had a better chance at rescue, and Keith’s temperament meant that the Galra would likely try to keep him subdued. That knowledge had come to fruition when Keith proved himself rather irritating to the Galra who had come to restrain him.

Hunk couldn’t be sure what the Galra had done to Keith, but it had made him much quieter. When the angry Galra left the room, Hunk waited before saying anything, but eventually he needed to know what had happened. All he could think of were the worst possible things.

“Keith?” he whispered, still nervous that the Galra might return.

Keith was unresponsive.

“Keith? Hey. Buddy. Listen, are you okay?” Hunk asked, his voice now just above a whisper, worry seeping into his tone. Hunk let out a nervous whine. His friend and surrogate leader was now out cold or worse, his hands are strapped to a table and he can’t access his helmet’s dashboard(and thus contact his team), he is exhausted, and to top it all off, the first pangs of hunger were beginning to make his stomach growl.

Hunk paused in his thoughts, hoping to calm himself by sorting them out while he focused on taking deep breaths. He realized then, however, that if the Galra knew they had captured and anesthetized the leader of team Voltron, they’d be screwed. Oh so royally screwed. 

Wait. What did ‘Recovery Blue’ mean? With this in mind, Hunk began a new plan of action.

Hunk struggled with his helmet, working to move it to a manageable angle at which maybe, by some stroke of luck, the comms button would come within reach of his face. He strained to reach until finally his helmet slipped just enough so that he could tap the interface with his nose. The screen prompted for a contact.  
“Pidge.” he whispered. The helmet buzzed for a moment, then Pidge’s voice filled the inside.

“Hunk! Oh my gosh, are you okay? Is Keith okay? I heard you shout something and then Keith’s line went dead! What happened? Where are you?”

“Woah, okay. First, yes, I am okay. Chained to a table, but okay. On the matter of Keith, I’m not sure, but I’ll get to that in a moment.”

“What?”

“Pidge, listen.”

“Fine.” she grumbled.

“We got ambushed? I think. Keith was talking to you, and when he stood up, a big Galra appeared behind him and bludgeoned him. Then two more came and handcuffed me. I just kinda went with it because I figured we probably shouldn’t both be out cold.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

“Yes. So then they blindfolded me and took us into the place you marked with the third pin.”

“So you don’t know where you are.”

“Not a clue.” Hunk paused. “Well, okay, that’s a lie, I’m in a blank white room on a table and Keith is behind me and he’s not responding. But other than that, no.”

“What do you mean, not responding?”

“I was getting to that.”

“Yes, and?”

“So I told you I’m not sure if he’s okay, and that he got hit upside the head. Well they brought me in first, probably because I could walk and that made getting me here faster. A few minutes later they brought Keith in, and he, I don’t know how, I was behind him, saw me, and spoke to me and I thought, ‘Hallelujah he’s not dead.’”

“That makes it sound like he’s okay.”

“Yes, he was. He must’ve woken up on the way to the room. Anyway, so we got a brief moment to talk, and he asked me to try to get a message through, so here I am, doing that, I’ll relay that message in a moment. And so then this Galra guy walks in, Keith is still trying to talk to me, so the Galra tells him to shut up about three times, and then Keith says, and I quote, ‘What’re you gonna do, stab me?’ There’s more to it but that’s the gist of it because then I’m pretty sure the Galra took his helmet off, Keith told me what his message was, and then I heard him go slack.”

Pidge was quiet for a moment. “And what was his message?”

“Recovery Blue.”

Silence.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!?”

“I have no idea.” Hunk paused. “I’ll ask him when he wakes up. If he wakes up.”

Pidge hummed. “Alright then. Let me know what he says if you get the chance.”

***

Keith groaned as he awoke to the searing white light of the room where he and Hunk had been taken. He blinked away the sleep in his eyes and grimaced at the return of the throbbing at the back of his head. It was lesser now, but pain elsewhere racked his body had him sucking in air through his teeth.

“Keith, you awake?” Hunk asked quietly from behind him.

“Yeah, I think.” he said, though when he moved to stretch his arms, but they felt leaden, not to mention bound to the table. “Quiznack.” he cursed, and let his head drop back to the table’s surface.

Hunk waited to see if Keith would say anything else. When he didn’t, Hunk spoke again. “Are you okay?”

Keith took his time with his response. “How’d this happen?”

“What?”

“Somehow I've 'dropped out' of Galaxy Garrison, lost a brother figure— Not once, but twice! —become his replacement, and now here I am, strapped to a table and knocked out twice in… how long have I been out?”

Hunk glanced at the clock on his helmet dashboard. “About six hours.”

Keith took a shaky breath. “And knocked out twice in less than a day.”

Hunk stared at the ceiling. “Well. You found the blue lion, which awakened an ancient sleeping alien princess, and her advisor, and her castle, which also happens to be a giant spaceship. Without any of those, the other lions would not have been found, and thus Voltron could not be formed, and thus we could not have fought Zarkon and the Galra empire. Granted there’s still more to liberate, but still. And then! You wouldn’t have found the Blade of Marmora, and overall couldn’t have defeated Zarkon. Now, you may be the surrogate-perhaps-permanent leader of Voltron, and you may be strapped to a table and been knocked out twice, but at least you’re not alone, and at least you’re fighting.” Hunk paused. “They say it’s better to die fighting than to have given up before you started, and regret it ‘til you die.”

Keith laughed drily. “Truer words were never spoken.”

“Uh-oh, are you being poetic?”

“Nope.” Keith took a deep breath. “Just stating facts. Though any poetry right now should be sent in the form of warm regards for the gash in my side.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yeah, remember when I asked if that Galra was gonna stab me?”

“Yes.”

“And what I said afterwards?”

“Yes.”

“I have been stabbed today. Not including the syringe he used to knock me out.”

“So that’s why you were out for so long.” Hunk inferred.

“Yeah.” Keith paused. “So the fact that I’m chained to a table is actually kinda good.”

“That probably hurts.”

“Worst part is I can’t do anything.”

An uneasy silence filled the room.

“Is it, you know, is it bad? Like, bleeding?” Hunk inquired.

“Can we talk about something else?”

“Oh, yeah, sure! Uh…” Hunk hummed to himself in thought.

“Were you able to get a message to anyone?”

“Yes! Actually, I got a hold of Pidge, told her what’s up, she seemed pretty concerned. And, uh, relayed your message. So uh… yeah.”

Keith grunted. “You want to know what Recovery Blue means.”

“Just a little.”

Keith was silent.

“Okay, a lot.”

More silence.

“Also, Pidge asked.”

“Thought so. I think Allura is the only one who has any idea what it might mean. Though Coran could probably guess in a heartbeat.” Keith paused. “Recovery Blue is when we get into a situation I believe only Lance can get us out of. Don’t ask me why, because I’m not sure myself. He’s got his own way of doing things, and as infuriating as they may be, they do tend to work.”

“How does that apply here? Pidge and Allura are also in the city.”

“Exactly. In this case, you and I are in Galra hands. Naturally I wouldn’t ask Allura to come get us, she’s very important to literally everything we do. Pidge is in a similar boat, without her, we’d be going in blind to half of our missions. She got us the map earlier, was able to relay communications between parties when the comms signals were blocked, keeps surveillance so we don’t all get killed, and makes sure we have access to all the doors. On top of that she’s also looking for data on her family.

“Now I realize this all makes Lance sound expendable, but that’s not the case. What is, is that all this means that none of us can do this alone. Since we’re stuck here, Allura will take up her natural role as commander, Pidge will make sure Lance can get in and get out, all while Lance is our man of action.”

“Wow, you’ve really got all the bases covered.” Hunk noted.

“You think so? I ‘spose that’s nice.”

Hunk chuckled. “Glad you think that.” he paused. “So, uh, now what?”

Keith took a shuddery breath. “Sleep.”

“Stop doing that, man, it’s concerning.”

Keith snorted. “Feel free to shout if I asphyxiate.”

***

Allura hummed to herself impatiently. She and Lance had just lead the Falurians to their children, and were now waiting for the glassy elevator to bring them further up the structure, where they would meet with Pidge. Allura was glad to have reunited the Falurians, who were now gathering in the Queen’s throne room farther up, but now she had more pressing matters at hand.

“Do you think they’re doing okay?” Lance asked solemnly, breaking Allura out of her thoughts.

Allura sighed. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know. I’d like to think so, but it’s hard to tell. Judging by the picture Keith sent, he and Hunk were in for a pretty big fight. They may just be exhausted, but you can never know what the Galra are up to.” she frowned.

“All this for a plant.” Lance grumbled.

“Yes, but it’s a plant that keeps the castle-ship running.”

The elevator slowed to let them out, and Lance kept talking as he stepped through the opening in the glass.

“I know, but why does everything Altean require strange and hard to get resources from all over the galaxy?”

“Diplomacy. Though it’s better than if it were all from Altea. Then we’d really be stuck.”

“True.”

“Which way are we headed?”

Lance consulted the holographic map and hummed. “That way. I think.” he pointed toward a hallway and jogged closer. “Yes, definitely this way.”

Allura jogged over to follow him, and before long they came across a Galra corpse laid out beside a doorway.

Lance noticed the telltale signs left behind by Pidge’s electrical bayard and turned to Allura. “Must be the right place.”

Allura wrinkled her nose at the sight and stepped around it to knock on the door. “Pidge, it’s Allura and Lance.”

A moment later, the door rumbled open to reveal the small paladin, who quickly ushered them inside.

“Took you long enough.” she sniffed.

“We were busy with the Falurians. Apparently their queen was taken to the same place Hunk and Keith were.”

Pidge’s eyes widened. “Really? Did they tell you anything else about that room?”

Lance shook his head. “Not much, but they did mention that it was where the Galra were based out of in the city. It’s possible that it leads to a cloaked ship or more hidden rooms.”

Pidge hummed in thought. “More hidden rooms would be interesting but unlikely. A cloaked ship though… that would explain why we didn’t see signs of the Galra when we landed.”

“So secret room number three leads to a Galra ship? Great.”

Pidge frowned. “Had I known, I wouldn’t have asked them to check it out.” she said solemnly.

“It’s not your fault Pidge. Why don’t you show us the footage you mentioned before?” Allura asked.

“Oh right! Allura, I wanted to see if you could glean anything else from it. One of the Galrans looks important, though I can’t be sure.” Pidge swiveled her chair around to the desk and pulled up a file on the main screen. “This is the footage just after Keith’s comm signal dropped.”

Allura nodded, carefully scrutinizing the video at various speeds. A painful expression flitted across her face every time the Galrans shunted the paladins around. It was difficult to watch.

“I agree Pidge. Whoever is standing in the archway has unusual armor. He may well be the one in charge of the operation downstairs.”

“So if we take that guy out, we’re home free?” Lance asked.

Allura shrugged. “It’s possible.”

“It’s as good a plan as any.” Pidge paused. “Wait!” Her eyes lit up and she pulled up a different file onscreen.

“What is it, Pidge?”

“Hunk was able to contact me while you guys were downstairs.” She pointed to a list on the document. “He gave me a brief idea of what happened. At that point, Keith was still out cold, but he was awake before that just long enough to give Hunk a message to relay.”

“Recovery Blue?” Allura inquired, reading Pidge’s list.

Lance frowned. “What does that mean?”

Pidge spun her chair around. “That’s what I said too. Hunk couldn’t tell me what it was, but it sounds like a plan of some sort.”

“Ooh, like a secret code name?”

“I don’t know. Call it what you want, but if they are on a Galra ship, we need to act fast. Allura, can you contact Coran? He might have some insight that could prove useful.”

“Alright, but I’ll need to go up a few levels for a good signal. I’ll be back in a bit.”

***

Hunk was alerted by the hiss of the cell door and strained to see who had entered this time. He caught a glimpse of a tall Galra and worried that it might be the same one from before. He guessed the Galra had come since the effects of the syringe used on Keith were wearing off now. It had been about an hour since Keith had woken up, but as he had seemed intent on going back to sleep, Hunk wasn’t sure what the Galra would do. He laid still, trying to see the Galra who was pacing around the room with heavy footfalls, but had yet to come within Hunk’s view.

“Paladin’s of Voltron.” the Galran’s gruff voice issued through a translator. “You are now prisoners of the Galran Empire. I am under strict orders to bring you to the Emperor. Intact, unfortunately. Pray that Lord Lotor will remain merciful when you face him. For now, I have some… questions for you. I hope you’ll be willing to answer.”

Lotor? Did Zarkon have an heir?

“Sorry to disappoint you, but that’s not gonna happen.” Keith spat.

Oh, so Keith was awake. This would be interesting.

“I wouldn’t say such things if I were you.” the Galra growled, drawing his sword.

“Wait, wait. What kind of questions?” Hunk asked hurriedly, hoping to draw attention away from Keith. Hunk knew he was the diplomat of the two, maybe he could buy some time.

The Galra sauntered over to Hunk and sheathed his blade. “Ah, this one knows how a prisoner should behave.” He grinned wickedly. “Tell me.” he hissed. “Where is the Black Lion?”

Hunk raised an eyebrow. “And if I don’t tell you?” Risky, but could prove worthwhile.

The Galra’s gaze flicked to the weapon on his belt. “I think it’s quite clear, prisoner.”

So he was volatile too. Lovely.

“Hunk, don’t.” Keith warned.

“What’s your name, paladin?” shot the Galra, looming over Keith.

Keith smirked. “I should ask you the same.”

The Galra’s yellow eyes narrowed. “How amusing. You would want to know, wouldn’t you?” he teased, grinning. “Not that I’d tell you.”

Keith grunted with disinterest.

And so it continued for the better part of an hour. Over multiple questions. Keith was tired, but as the Galra officer seemed to be growing more impatient with the two paladins, they kept at it in hopes that he would eventually leave.

“I’m telling the truth, I don’t know where exactly princess Allura is right now. Or any of the other paladins for that matter.” Hunk huffed. He had hoped to wear down the Galra officer’s patience, but it seemed to be effective on himself as well.

The Galra seethed. “Alright, fine. Final question.” he growled. “Where is the leader of Voltron?” he spat at Hunk.

Keith stiffened and waited for Hunk’s response, thankful the Galra wasn’t facing him.

Hunk, however, remained silent, as he was panicking inside. This one question could do them in if they failed to throw the Galra off, and they both knew it.

“I repeat.” the Galra frowned. “Tell me, where is the leader of Voltron?”

Hunk leveled his gaze. “No.”

A guttural laugh emanated from their interrogator. “A straight answer for once!” he sneered. “But not the one I’m looking for.” He stood considering the blade of his weapon critically, then sheathed it and stepped to Keith, looming ominously over the injured paladin.

“Care to be more enlightening?” he inquired sinisterly.

“Over my dead body.” Keith snarled.

The Galra officer shook with contained rage, now thoroughly incensed, then took hold of Keith’s jaw and forced his head into the table.

“Mind your words, worm!” the Galra roared, turning toward the doorway and briskly storming away. “You will tell us!” he growled, the glassy door sliding shut behind him.

An uneasy quiet settled in the wake of the Galra’s outrage, though both paladins were thankful for it.

“That sounded unpleasant.” Hunk commented.

“That’s pretty accurate.”

“Really though, your temper is gonna get you in trouble someday.”

“I think it already has.”

Hunk chuckled. “True.”

“Hey, did you pick up on what he said about Lotor?” Keith’s voice was strained.

“Yeah, sounds like we’re headed to see whoever that is soon.”

“And the druids.”

Hunk made a discomforted noise. “I hope the others have a plan.”

“Yeah,” Keith breathed shakily. “I’m gonna sleep.”

***

“Check the hall to your left for a surveillance drone. If you see it, shoot it. That’s the way to the prison block. If not, go the other way.” Pidge’s voice echoed in Lance’s helmet.

“Alright.” Lance ducked around the corner. Sure enough, a small triangular drone floated overhead and he lined up the sights on his bayard swiftly. A quick shot downed the bot and it crashed to the floor. Lance winced at the sound, hoping it hadn’t alerted any unseen guards. So far he’d taken out all the Galrans he’d run into, but the path to the cells was likely to be more heavily guarded.

Lance pressed himself to the wall and sidled to the next corner, silently awaiting the next direction from Pidge. She was cross-examining multiple Galra ship layouts in order to guide him through the invisible enemy spacecraft.

“What’s my next move?” he whispered, peeking stealthily around the corner.

“Turn the corner and you’ll come to a hallway that loops back around in a square. There may be a few offshoots as well.” Pidge paused. “Allura says to expect a patrol or a few stationed guards.”

“Copy that.” Lance turned the corner and tiptoed to the next fork in the hallway. 

He waited, listening for footsteps down the hall. If a patrol came from either direction, Lance was poised to gun them down. The subtle clinking of metal on metal reached his ears from around the corner and he poked the muzzle of his bayard around the corner in anticipation. He took the shot as the first sentry turned the corner at the end of the hall, then somersaulted to the other wall and did the same to the next sentry. Lance sat still, waiting should another patrol or an alarmed guard appear. After a minute however, none showed up, and he stood to keep moving.

“Just took out a patrol. Will there be guards as well?”

“Hold on.” Pidge paused, consulting Allura. “No, but there is another drone.”

“Target practice.” Lance grinned and walked down the hall, glancing through the small windows in each cell door he passed. “What kind of room did Hunk say they were in?”

“White, and well lit.”

Lance hummed. “Not the typical Galra cell.” he noted.

“That’s why I think the ship might have the offshoot hallways. Maybe it’s a different kind of cell.” Pidge inferred.

“Oh, hey, do you think the Falurian queen might be down here?”

“More than likely. Once you’ve found Hunk and Keith you should check.”

“Will do.” Lance said, crouching behind a corner. He’d spotted the drone floating down towards one of the offshoot halls and sat in wait to strike. As the machine’s whirring grew closer he squared up and took the shot as it left the hall. It clattered to the ground and Lance pumped a fist in the air.

“Success!” He whispered, then stood and hurried down the hall. The doors here, he noticed, were unusual.

Lance hummed. “That’s weird.”

“What is?” Pidge inquired.

“The doors are made of glass or something.” he paused and kicked the door of an empty cell, but jumped back with a yelp when a spark of electricity jumped between his foot and the door.

“What was that?”

“The door tried to electrocute me!”

“Don’t touch it then.” Pidge paused. “Allura says that means those cells might be for interrogation.”

Lance frowned. “That’s not good.”

Pidge groaned impatiently. “That’s why we are hurrying, and not kicking doors.”

“Right, sorry.” Lance moved to the next door. Empty. As were the next two. A small noise from behind him caught his attention. He spun on his heels to see a bright green Falurian in an elegant orange dress frantically waving her arms in the air. Despite her captivity she appeared determined, though whatever she was saying was muffled by the glass door. He stepped closer and scrutinized the panel on the wall, then switched his gaze to the Falurian. 

“Pidge, I think I found the queen.” he stated, then glanced to the Falurian once again. The telltale yellow leaf shape on her forehead confirmed his suspicion. He recalled the Falurian prisoners describing the mark when Allura had asked about the queen. He looked at the Falurian in question, who began waving her arms with purpose, as if pointing to something.

“You’re telling me where to go.” he realized. He pointed in the direction the Falurian was gesturing, and when she nodded, he grinned and headed further down the hall. He passed two more empty cells before he arrived at the right one. Through the glass he could see Keith, and Hunk lay farther back. He stared at the door, then at the panel beside it, deliberating on how to get inside.

“Pidge, can I just shoot it?”

“Shoot what?”

“I don’t know, the door, the lock, something?”

“Try the lock first. You might have to push the door open by hand.”

“‘Kay, here goes.” he said, stepping back. He shot the panel with a bolt of energy and it exploded into sparks. Lance reached out to the door, but a small zap told him it was still electrified.

“Alright, that won’t work. I’m gonna shoot the door.” Lance announced, standing off to the side. He shot the four corners of the door, shattering the glassy material. When the pieces settled, he stepped inside and returned his bayard to his hip.

“That took longer than I would have liked.” Lance commented, brushing some of the glass aside with his foot. He glanced briefly at Keith, who appeared asleep, though painfully so, before his attention was drawn to Hunk.

“Lance? You came!” Hunk said excitedly.

Lance chuckled and moved around to see Hunk. “I’m wounded.” he teased. “Of course I came! How are ya?”

“Fine, though I’d be better if you could get these cuffs off.”

“Oh yeah, hang on.” Lance said, backing up to aim.

“Please be careful.”

Lance shot the wrist cuffs off and Hunk sat up. “I am the picture of perfect grace.” He turned and shot the ankle cuffs, then helped Hunk off the table.

“Thanks man. Fair warning, never fall asleep on a table in your armor.” Hunk said, stretching.

“I don’t know man, Keith looks out.” Lance commented.

Hunk frowned. “He’s been like that nearly the whole time, though that’s partially due to whatever they used to put him to sleep earlier.” he said, stepping around the table to see Keith.

“Really? That’s like the most he’s slept. Ever. He doesn’t look so good though.” Lance said, joining Hunk on the other side of the room.

Hunk nodded. “Yeah. He’s in a worse state that he made it seem.”

Lance looked at Hunk quizzically. “What do you mean?”

“I mean he looks sick. I thought he was just tired and wounded, but this…”

As if to prove Hunk’s point, Keith twitched in his sleep then as he made an ill-sounding whine. His face looked pained, and several shades paler than it should have been.  
Lance frowned and placed a hand on Keith’s forehead. “Wow, yeah. That’s a fever. We’re uh, I think we’re gonna have to carry him.”

“It’s a good thing he’s asleep. I don’t think he’d like that suggestion.” Hunk smiled humorously.

Lance chuckled. “That’s putting it lightly.”

“Yeah. We should hurry though.” Hunk paused. “What about the Galra?” he worried.

Lance flapped a hand. “We should be fine.” he paused, then his eyes widened. “I almost forgot, I think I found the Falurian queen!”

“Alright, but let’s get Keith first.” Hunk said, picking Keith’s busted helmet off the floor. He then stepped back to allow Lance room to shoot off the cuffs. They carried Keith out the doorway, where Lance left Keith with Hunk and activated his bayard to shoot the door of the Falurian’s cell. The cell was different, with a cuff chaining the Falurian’s ankle to a bench in the back rather than a table. Lance carefully shot the cuff and ushered her out into the hallway.

“You are Queen Thanali, right?” he asked, moving to help Hunk reposition Keith to carry him better. Lance would need his arms free if they ran into any more Galra.  
The orange clad Falurian nodded courtly. “That is correct, paladin of Voltron.”

“Cool. Let’s go.” Lance said, waving the others to follow him as he lead their posse through the corridors. After a fair bit of walking the hallway opened into a chamber with numerous halls branching off from it. Lance stood in the center of the room and started counting doorways.

“Looks like you cleaned up, Lance.” Hunk commented, noting the Galrans strewn around the room.

Lance glanced across the room. “Yeah I did.” he grinned coolly.

At this, Keith stirred, blinking. “What?” he mumbled.

Hunk glanced down. “Oh hey, Keith’s awake.” he called to Lance.

Keith breathed in shakily. “Barely.” he whispered.

Lance beckoned the group over to another hall. “Stay with us man.” he called over his shoulder with a reassuring smile. “I took out every Galra I saw on my way here. We should be outta here soon.”

Keith frowned slightly. “Did you see the Galra general?”

Everyone froze.

Lance stared at Keith, the confidence slipping slowly off his face. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, we’re on a Galra ship. You’re telling me you got all the way in here without ever seeing him?”

Hunk’s face fell. “Oh no.”

Lance looked from Keith to Hunk, realization settling in his expression. “Quiznack.”

“Look, don’t worry about it right now, just go the way you came in. We’ll deal with the general if we find him. Hunk, I want you to contact Allura and Pidge, then have the Falurian take us to meet them.” Keith directed, his voice drained.

Lance stared at the other paladins quietly, and nodded. “Okay.” he said, turning back down the dim hallway.

***

Lance ducked behind a corner with a hasty shot from his bayard. The bolt missed the enraged Galran general, instead bringing down a ceiling panel with a crash, blocking the furious alien’s path. Across the hall, Hunk was lining up for a shot, which glanced off the Galran’s armor.

“Come on, just one more shot.” Lance hissed, staring down his sights in hopes of an opening. They’d had the Galran bleeding shortly after they stumbled across the general halfway to the exit. As per usual with the Galran officers, their opponent had in his possession some sort of augmented limb-weapon. This time it had been a massive, glowing purple, energy sword. This made it an unusual fight for Hunk and Lance, whose ranged attacks put them out of the officer’s reach, however it also meant the Galran was better equipped to defend himself.

Lance poked his head around the corner and fired off a volley of shots in an attempt to bring down more of the ceiling. He could at least try to stall until they had a plan to finish off the general. Lance could shoot as much as he wanted at the Galra, but the sword proved detrimental to this plan because it could reflect their laser blasts. If the Galran was distracted, however... he might have a better chance. Lance pulled back behind the corner and turned to Hunk.

“I have an idea, but I need you to help me.” he called to Hunk.

“What do you need me to do?”

“Keep shooting, no matter what!” Lance yelled, rolling into the hallway. He knelt and steadied his bayard, waiting for a chance. Hunk’s fire was bouncing erratically off of the Galran’s sword, but as their opponent began to notice the singular source of the assault, he changed tactics. This left a slim opening, but it was all that Lance needed. He adjusted his aim and, with a breath to calm his nerves, took the shot.

The Galran general reacted immediately, his body jolting when the blast hit flesh. The next moment, he had collapsed into the pile of ceiling tiles, the purple glow of his sword retracting into his augmented hand.

Lance sat back with a sigh. “Finally.”

“Nice shot, Lance.” Hunk commented, offering a hand to pull the blue paladin to his feet.

“Thanks.” Lance said, deactivating his bayard with an internal smile. He turned back to Keith and Queen Thanali, who sat around the nearest corner. Keith’s head rested in Thanali’s lap, her brows furrowed in concern.

“Queen Thanali, can you take us to the upper levels? We’re supposed to meet up with our friends in the throne room.” Lance asked.

“Of course, paladin. We should hurry, there are supplies to treat thine friend where we are headed.”

“Oh, that’s good.” Hunk said, stooping to pick up Keith, who had lapsed back into unconsciousness.

“Lead the way, m’lady.” Lance said with a flourish and a grin, then called Allura over the comms to inform her that they were on the way.

Thanali nodded curtly, setting off down the hall at a brisk pace as she lead them out of the Galran ship. Lance and Hunk followed close behind with ease, and it wasn’t long before they found themselves riding the elevator to the upper floors of the city.

Pidge and Allura stood at the entrance to the corridor, waiting for them when they arrived and rushed to meet them when they stepped out of the glass tube. Queen Thalani met with Allura and brought everyone toward the throne room while Pidge spoke with her fellow paladins.

“How is he?” she asked, walking between Hunk and Lance.

Lance looked down at her, carrying his helmet under his arm. “Not good. When I got to them he had a bad fever.”

“He got cut pretty bad too. I hope you were able to contact Coran.” Hunk added solemnly.

“We were, actually. He sent me the Galra ship layouts so I could guide Lance to the prison block. Allura gave him directions to position the castle-ship at the docking bay, but he’ll probably need someone to get him here.” Pidge paused as they approached the entrance to the throne room to let a number of Falurians pass by. “Once we get Keith situated you can go find him.”

“Sure, I can do that.” Hunk nodded.

The throne room was crowded with Falurians, and the quiet patter of a waterfall emanated from behind the throne. Allura guided them to a couch the queen had arranged for Keith and relayed the information Thanali had told her.

“Apparently, among other things, the Falurians were forced to develop poisons that the Galra used to lace their melee weapons. The Queen believes this poison is likely the cause for Keith’s fever.” Allura paused to allow room for Thalani and her attendants, who had brought a tray of various plants and liquids.

“The poison saps the victim’s strength and energy, rendering them exhausted, both physically and mentally. This impairs mobility, as well as the victim’s normal level of cognitive function. Fever and an upset stomach are also likely symptoms.” Thanali added as her attendants prepared an elixir.

“That explains why he was so out of it.” Hunk noted.

“And the fever.” Lance added pointedly.

“What do you mean, Hunk?” Allura asked.

“As Queen Thanali mentioned, he seemed kinda out of it. Still just as angry, but more emotionally susceptible.”

Thanali nodded. “That would be the work of the poison. That, combined with prior fatigue —from what I hear were most valiant efforts on the field of battle— would leave him weakened and somewhat delirious.”

Allura’s gaze drifted to Thanali’s attendants, dutifully mixing up a vibrant elixir. “Thankfully, the Falurians know the antidote, however, so that takes care of one problem. I advise we leave them to their work.” the princess suggested, ushering the paladins toward a table where they set their helmets down, and were joined shortly by the queen.

“Princess Allura, I cannot thank thee enough for thine paladin’s efforts. I suspect that my Falurians are currently preparing a celebration. I know, however, that thou all must be quite fatigued, and therefore will do my best to keep it simple.” Thanali smiled reassuringly. “Please, take any refreshments that thou may need.” she added, waving a hand towards the rapidly increasing display of colorful Falurian foods on the nearby buffet table. Thanali stood and excused herself politely, then disappeared in the growing crowd in the direction of the throne. Shortly thereafter a few melodic notes of music reached them over the quiet rush of water, mostly comprised of chimes and lyres.

Allura turned her gaze on the paladins. “Please, do eat something before you do anything else. It’s been a long day. Someone does need to go find Coran and bring him up sooner rather than later, though.”

“I already told Pidge I’d do that, but I will take you up on the food on my way out.” Hunk said, scooping up his helmet and excusing himself to the buffet table.  
Lance and Pidge murmured in agreement and followed after Hunk. It had been almost nine hours since they’d first encountered the Galra on Falura, and the paladins were starving. Eventually Hunk left to go find Coran, leaving Lance and Pidge to mingle with the newly-liberated Falurians, and take shifts checking on Keith’s condition every so often.

***

Pidge sighed, swirling the half empty glass of Falurian punch in her hand impatiently. Either Coran was having a hard time getting the castle-ship into position, or he and Hunk had gotten lost, and she was growing bored of sharing pleasantries with every new Falurian she ran into. They were hard to avoid since Lance had deemed it her turn to keep an eye on Keith, and all the Falurians seemed intent on passing by to see him. It was understandable; Keith had been one of the two paladins that all the Falurians had seen at some point already. That didn’t make it any less bothersome.

Thankfully, however, the Falurians were reasonable enough to keep their distance and let him rest. Pidge smiled to herself, it was probably a good thing Keith was asleep, all the attention would make him uncomfortable despite the number of times they’d attended such celebrations. She swirled the glass in her hands again, finally emptying the last of its contents into her mouth. The flavor was overwhelmingly sweet and she made a face, suddenly reminded of why she hadn’t finished it in the first place.  
It was then that Pidge noticed Lance picking his way through the sea of Falurians. He wasn’t hard to spot as he was a good two feet taller than most of the plant-colored aliens, and Pidge set her now empty glass on the table next to her, turning to face him as he emerged from the crowd.

“Hey Pidge, catch!” Lance called, lobbing a small object in her direction.

“What?” she lurched forward and fumbled for a green roll of… something.

“Allura’s stuck in a courtesy duel, so I’m headed off to get the Qanil flowers.” Lance explained with a grin, then turned his attention to the bluish Falurian guiding him away from the crowd.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Pidge yelled incredulously.

Lance looked at her and blinked, then bobbed his head in Keith’s direction. “First aid!” he shouted, then ducked off in pursuit of his Falurian guide.

Pidge was about to call after him, but thought better of it and turned back to the situation at hand. She moved to the couch where Keith had been situated. The medicine the Falurian Queen had provided appeared to be working, as he was sleeping, and seemed more at peace than he had been an hour ago.

Pidge stared at the green roll in her hands. What was she supposed to do with this? She remembered Hunk saying something about a cut… Perhaps it was gauze? Pidge shrugged and scanned Keith’s side for the opening. She found it quickly, a large tear in the fabric on the left side of his suit. Her face turned nearly as red as the stains on Keith’s suit when she realized what she’d have to do to apply the gauze. With a resolved sigh she set the gauze down, folding her legs under herself and set about gently slipping the cuirass over Keith’s head. Next came the gauntlets, and then the fabric bodysuit they all wore underneath their armor. Pidge fumbled for the zipper at Keith’s neck carefully; her desire to let him sleep combined with her nerves at the unusual predicament were making her hands annoyingly sweaty, but she managed.

The cut, which she could now see, was much more than just a cut. It was a deep gash, and looked to have been bleeding for quite some time.

Idiot, she thought, tearing off a strip of the gauze to try to clean up the area a bit. The contact, however, elicited a sharp hiss from Keith as his eyes flew open and he stared up at Pidge, shuddering.

“Quiznack.” Keith grimaced.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Pidge pulled her hand back abruptly.

“No, it’s okay, just unexpected.” Keith said calmly, a hand traveling to the wound in his side, wincing slightly when his fingers brushed the torn flesh. His eyebrows knitted.   
“How bad is it?”

Pidge moved Keith’s hand away from the gash. “It’s… It’s rough.” she paused. “I’ve got some weird green alien gauze though, so… Yeah.” she added, beginning to wrap the stuff around his abdomen.

Keith grunted and closed his eyes. “Alright then.”

A look of confusion crossed Pidge’s face. “What?”

Keith looked at her quizzically. “What do you mean?”

“That’s just not what I expected you to say.”

“What did you expect me to say, then?”

Pidge huffed. “I don’t know, probably something like ‘I’m Keith, ‘tis but a scratch,’ and then you’d get up and go collapse somewhere else.”

Keith appeared amused by this and he hummed. “Not today.” he paused. “I trust you. Plus it hurts like you wouldn’t believe.”

“Then tell someone you idiot!” Pidge hissed.

“I did though!”

“No, I mean earlier. Like when I was talking to you through the comms earlier. We could’ve done something sooner.”

“Oh.” Keith closed his eyes again.

“Idiot.” Pidge whispered again softly, focusing her attention on the gauze.

Below her, Keith smirked slightly, though she didn’t see it.

***

Keith sat in one of the castle-ship’s many stardecks scrolling through a mission debrief Pidge had put together for him. He was still groggy from his time in the healing pod, and it was nice to have a quiet place to de-stress. The rest of the crew members were likely asleep already, and the faint whir of the castle-ship’s engines could be heard, gently propelling them through deep space.

He found himself on the stardecks more often since he’d taken up the mantle of the team’s leader. Initially it had just been to get away from everything and sort through the messes that followed Zarkon’s defeat, but lately it had become his sanctuary. Often times Pidge would join him with her laptop and they’d sit in a comfortable silence until one or the other fell asleep. Tonight, however, Keith was by himself, and after the events of the last 24 hours, he was fine with that.

Somewhere behind him a light clicked on, and he turned his head around to see who it was.

“Oh, Keith, you’re still awake.” Allura’s voice echoed softly. She moved on light feet to stand behind him, eyes flicking out across the expanse of space.

Keith turned back to the tablet in his lap, content to scroll through the report in silence.

“You should get some sleep sometime.” she said, stepping away towards the door.

Keith nodded in acknowledgement, powering off the device in his hands.

“You did well today.” Allura paused, her voice gentle. “Shiro would be proud.”

**Author's Note:**

> November: If something sounds ridiculous that’s probably because it was inspired by a half-dream as I woke up. Probably a quarter of this is straight from it.
> 
> Catch me talking Voltron on Tumblr: @hunkshands


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